5 accepted papers
Operation in constrained and cluttered spaces poses a challenge for robotic manipulators, in part due to their bulky link geometry and kinematic limitations in comparison to human hands and arms. To address these limitations, we introduce SLIM, a custom end-effector consisting of a bidirectional han
Robotic manipulators navigating cluttered shelves or cabinets may find it challenging to avoid contact with obstacles. Indeed, rearranging obstacles may be necessary to access a target. Rather than planning explicit motions that place obstacles into a desired pose, we suggest allowing incidental con…
We present a new gripper and exploration approach that uses a finger with very low reflected inertia for probing and then grasping objects. The finger employs a transparent transmission, resulting in a light touch when contact occurs. The finger elements are stiff and mounted on precise Cartesian ax
As robots branch out from the manufacturing sector into the home, there is a pressing need for new technology that can operate in cluttered and unstructured human environments. Loading and unloading a dishwasher serves as a difficult representative challenge for in-home robots, and a new robotic end
Robots must cost less and be force-controlled to enable widespread, safe deployment in unconstrained human environments. We propose Quasi-Direct Drive actuation as a capable paradigm for robotic force-controlled manipulation in human environments at low-cost. Our prototype - Blue - is a human scale…